A Game Afoot
by justawaytolive
Summary: Smosh - Lucy Lylles, a 17 year-old from England, travels to America by a student exchange program. She befriends Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla, two boys at her new school. Lucy enjoys her time in America, until one day, everything takes a turn for the worse. Can Lucy solve the case alone? Or will she take Anthony and Ian down with her? You never know when there are games afoot...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The man lied on the ground, eyes cringing and hand grasping his open flesh wound. Although the man was silent, I knew he recanted his sins toward us. He knew his sins deserved punishment. Still he stayed there, lifeless, secretly praying that we thought he was dead and would leave him to his suffering.

But we weren't stupid, and he couldn't fool us.

"We know you're simply not sleeping, Adam," I tsked, taking my foot to his stomach with distaste and vigor. "Figures. A man who was stupid enough to double-cross us thinks he can out-smart us as well." The multiple men behind me laughed quietly along. _Not to amused, I see. Well, I have told more humorous ones in the past situations. These men aren't easily impressed._

Adam coughed up blood as he regained his breath. "I've told you all before! I did not dispatch any information or anything! I didn't and never would betray you! I'm loyal to everyone! Everything here! No one knows about the~!"

"~You have become too smart. Too knowledgeable about the outside world for your own good. It's only a matter of time until you decide to deceive us." I turned around to receive the two bottles from a member behind me. The familiar smell that emerged from the liquids still gave me a sad feeling. A sadness that came from yet another friend betraying me. Betraying us.

And for that, there is no reason for his existence. Here, or anywhere.

As I turned back around, Adam screeched and struggled beneath my feet. He knew what came next; he had performed this ritual only three days before. "We have no need for you anymore, Adam. Our Pure World has no need for you. Your soul is dead to us; therefore, your mortal self should be as well." I poured the cold liquids onto Adam's clothes and face, and he shook as it chilled and stung his skin.

From my pocket, I pulled a matchbox and lit one single match. "Another impurity of the Old World will now be cleansed."

The match fell between my fingertips and enflamed Adam's face. His cries echoed through the empty night as the fire spread across his body. His blackened hands sprung to his face, where his eyeballs showed through like stars in the dark night. Unfortunately, my shoe was slightly burnt as I pushed the struggling corpse down the side of the cliff. I shrugged it off as I watched the flames swallowed by the night. _I can always get another pair._

"It's a shame, really." A fellow member walked beside me. "Not knowing who we can truly trust."

"It's true. The temptations are all around us. Ones that drew Adam into the commercialism of the world." I explain as we head back to the car. "He was a smart boy. That's why we initially brought him in. But he was too old to forget the Old World. He could not understand commercialism could never be accomplished. This is the only way."

"Yes. The free will of the current world doesn't exist."

"You're right. In fact, it never existed."

"It's a large challenge," He pointed out. "Our brethren have attempted it from the dawn of time; fully conceiving the Pure World."

"True," I agreed. "But each day it edges closer. We have a game afoot and it starts soon. As He had once said, 'Follow your spirit and upon this charge~"

"~'Cry, God for Harry, the Union, and Saint George!'"

* * *

**Remember me? ;)**

**Hey guys! It's been a long time, hasn't it? Far too long for me! But ever since I finished my last story, I have been busting my butt, working on this new one! I release it on a very special day for me; not only is it New Years, is also marks the anniversary of my first real novella, _Without Hannah Here. _This day will always be very important for me because it was the first time I ever shared any of my stories with anyone, and the first time I ever joined this wonderful site. Over the past year, I have enjoyed writing to my heart's content and talking to you awesome people!**

**So, in order to celebrate, I have something brand new to show you guys, and I hope you're ready for it! I've been working extremely hard on it, and I hope it blows you out of the water! Thank you for everything you guys have done for me, and keep being awesome!**

**Peace, love, and all that Jazz,**

**Katie**


	2. Chapter 1

**FROM THE DESK OF LUCY GRACE LYLLES**

_"You sure you want to do this? I mean, you are REALLY sure?"_

_From across the lunch table, Nancy nodded shyly in agreement. This must have been serious to them if they actually agreed. Bella and Nancy really didn't like each other. The only relationship they shared was me; they were mutual friends, and made it obvious every other time they weren't fans of each other. The only time they tolerated each other was when they simultaneously disapproved of something I did. And now, they seemed to be closer than ever._

_Bella reread the paper and looked up at me with curious eyes. "It's…it's expensive. You know that, right?"_

_I shushed her angrily and brought my voice down. "Yes, I know it's expensive Bella. Don't you think I've thought about that?" Nancy shrunk in her chair and pursed her lips as she listened to the heated argument. Bella sighed and repented._

"_Now," I continued with a voice at normal level. "I've figured out all the financial problems __before__ I face my mum. I know it's expensive, and I'm sure once Mum sees the paper, she's going to flip. But what I've figured that part out. The school is willing to pay half the fees for me to go because my above-average GPA."_

_Bella snorted. "Above-average? Lu, you have a 4.7."_

_I winked. "Exactly. The school wants to send at least one person who can 'show what Withington Girls' School has to offer', or, whatever."_

"_So, a smart girl, like you?"_

"_Precisely." _

"_But, Lucy," Bella and I looked over to Nancy, whose small and meek voice barely covered a whisper. "It's America. I've been there, and it's a lot like Manchester. A lot like England. I just…" She cleared her throat and sat a little taller. "I just feel like you're wasting your money, is all." Bella nodded along._

_I sighed. "I know it seems that way, mates. And I'm sure for you guys, it would be. But, honestly, I don't know when the next opportunity like this will come for me. It costs money, but if I take this exchange trip, it will be a lot cheaper if I want to travel for my graduation or something. I've always wanted to go to America, and this is the only way I can for a long time."_

_The lunch bell rang and ended our period. I waved good-bye to Nancy, and almost surprisingly, so did Bella. Bella walked next to me as we headed to math._

"_Well, Lucy," Bella perked. "I wish you the best of luck, yeah? Looks like you've got this whole trip figured out. There's just only one thing standing in your way."_

"_And that is?"_

"_Your mum." She gave me a supportive pat on the back while having a scared look in her eye. "I just hope your mum feels the same way. And Godspeed with that."_

"_Oh, I reckon she will."_

* * *

_"Are you mad, Lucy?! Have you_ completely_ fallen off your rocker?!"_

_So maybe it didn't go _quite _as I had planned._

_Yes, Mum and I had a bit of a back-and-forth. It mainly acquired of her yelling at me, claiming I had no concern of the 'small' financial issues our family was under. Every time I tried to explain the aid the school was giving me, it went a little something like this:_

"I can't believe you would even ask for such a thing, Lucy! Look at this paper! Do you even realize how much this is going to cost?!" Mum threw the paper back at me and continued furiously washing the dishes.

"But the school~!" I interjected.

"~More of my point!" I let my hand drop as I was, once again, ignored. "I spend who knows how much of my salary to make sure you go to a prestigious school and get a phenomenal education. Do you think we have enough money to just throw around now?!"

_That lasted for about 45 minutes…_

_Eventually, Mum was able to calm down and we were able to have an adult-like conversation. I explained everything I knew about the trip as completely as I could. By the end, Mum knew every last detail about the three months I would be gone. The £6000 would be split into £3000 pounds from my school's financial aid. I would pay £1200 from my savings. That left £1800 for Mum to pay. My fingers crossed so hard I heard two small 'cracks', Mum took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes._

_"Fine, Lucy." She finally gave in._

* * *

_And that was it! The next week, I was in the best (and busiest!) mood I could possibly be in. Between packing three months-worth of clothes and filling out foreign exchange applications back to back, I barely had time to do anything else or check anything over. _

_The next thing I knew, Mum was dropping me off at the aeroport, asking around security if someone could escort me because I was a minor. But one aeroport security took a look at my passport, which stated I was seventeen, the security raised an eyebrow at my mum, and let me go by myself._

_Now, I'm on the plane to the States, and I've never been so excited for anything. I took out my papers to see my new life for the next three months. I was staying with the Lucia family, while their daughter, Elizabeth, was going to Manchester and staying with my mum. They lived in an affluent town called Carmichael in California. There, I would go to the school Elizabeth goes to. Del Campo High School. A large, public 'high' school; the parallel to a public senior school._

_Which was exactly was Mum asked me NOT to have. There was a reason Mum paid so much money for a private education. But like I said, I didn't have any time to check things over. It was just a bit of an accident._

_Or was it? She didn't have to know (or find out!)._

_But, come on. I was going to America! How much fun would ANOTHER all girl private school be? For once, this trip would be my own adventure, and how I wanted it to be. I was going to have a little bit of fun, even if it killed me!_


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! No, I didn't die in a hole. No, I didn't forget about the story. NO, I DIDN'T STOP WRITING! Trust me, I am going to write this story until it is done. I have over twelve pages in a notebook full of ideas for this story. I've spent over three months preparing for it; there's no backing down now!**

**On that note, there's something you may want to know. This year, I am participating in Winter Color Guard, which, for those of you who don't know, is where color guard is taken out of marching band and put into it's own show. Once competition month starts (February) we compete every weekend with a seven minute show we prepared. Now, it's a lot of fun and all, but it takes up about 25% of my time. Literally, I spend 9-20 hours a week color guarding.**

**The point I'm trying to make here is I don't have a lot of time to REALLY write, meaning sit-down for five hours like I used to and get 5,000 words typed up. That is why it has been almost two weeks since I updated. Although this makes me sad that I can't produce chapters as frequently as I want, it does NOT mean I am not thinking about my story every day. I promise you I will finish this story and am always working on it. Chapters might come out a little bit later than wanted, but I want to make this story as great as it can be for you guys, and for myself. Keep following the story if you deem it worthy, becuase trust me, I think it will be worth the wait!**

**-Katie**

* * *

**Lucy's Point of View**

_Why did I think it would be different in America?_ I groaned at the mirror and dared to look at the clock. It was 8:45 am, and I had to leave the house now or I was going to be late for my first American school day. Too excited to wait, I gave up on my frustrating hair bun and simply let my partially curly and straight blonde hair fly in front of my face. After I grabbed my preparatory school bag, I headed down the Lucia's stairs and smoothed my plaid uniform. _Sucks we have to wear this the first week though. It makes it seem like we are still at our regular schools._

The Lucia's house was quite beautiful, indeed. By the looks of their multiple paintings, stating the slogan 'True Love Lives Below" and chandelier that rose above the dining room table, I could tell this family was on the higher end of society. It made me guilty (and slightly chuckle) at the fact Elizabeth was back home at my dinky little place.

"Good morning, Lucy!" Mr. Lucia perked from the kitchen. He placed his newspaper onto to the beige table. "How did you sleep?" He asked while sipping his morning coffee.

"Very well, sir. Thank you." Both Mr. and Mrs. Lucia hid a grin on their face. I had been there for a couple of days, and they still could not get over my accent.

"Here, dear," Mrs. Lucia handed me a bagel with cream cheese and orange juice. "Don't want you to be late or hungry on your first day!"

Mrs. Lucia was nice enough to drive me to the school for my first day. After about ten minutes, she turned off the car and unlocked the doors. "Well, here we are! Del Campo High School!" Mrs. Lucia looked at her watch and brought her hand to her cheek.

"Oh dear!" She exclaimed. "I might be late as well! Off you go, Lucy! Have a wonderful day! You can call me or Mike if you need anything."

And with that, she drove off, leaving me on the busy Californian side walk. Teenagers that ranged in all heights, sizes, and types roamed the campus of the large high school, wearing whatever they like and doing whatever they like. More nervous than I was excited, I gripped my bag and walked toward the school. The tardy bell rang as scattering students piled into the building.

I could feel numerous eyes daze upon me and what I was wearing. Whispers rang over the crowd.

"Is that a new girl?"

"No, I think she's a foreign exchange student. Just look at her clothes. It's a uniform. Sucks that she has to wear THAT every day. Bet she's glad she's here now!"

"Where's she from?"

"That random London school"

"Oh, boring! At least we have some people from China and stuff, as well. There are different countries doing it, you know."

"Yeah, but still. England! Hey! Go ask her how to say 'hello' in British!"

And although I could have taken those comments negatively, they were right. I was glad I was here. By the size of the building and excitement through just the halls, I knew these next three months were bound to be something great.

* * *

The air felt clean and cool as I stepped into the empty hallway. After being in a meeting for hours, it was nice to finally start the school day. All of the exchange students had an introduction meeting that described what they were going to do the next three months. Most included small trips to places that pulled no one's interest. In there, I looked around and saw everyone's body language screaming disinterest and anxiety. We all just wanted to enjoy our first day in an American school; not in a boring discussion room.

The lunch bell rang as I made my way down the empty hallway. Instantaneously, ravenous students flooded down the same route I was heading. I ended up being pushed into the cafeteria by the crowd. Luckily, I found that was where I was supposed to be. Lunch Period 3, or at least my schedule said so.

When I glanced around, it suddenly hit me: I knew no one. I was completely alone with no one to sit with. I kept walking, half-hoping it would make me seem less awkward and like I knew where to go. I noticed a table in the corner of the room where two girls sat. One had blazing red hair and was touching up her make-up, while the other had mousy brown hair and was twiddling her fingers nervously. They reminded me immensely of Nancy and Bella in every way; from their appearance to their common behavior.

"Um…." The red-headed girl giggled to the side as the other looked up and down at me. "Can I help you?"

Without realizing it, I must have walked up to the familiar girls, who were still absolute strangers. I was standing at their table, creepily staring, reminiscing about their doppelganger appearances. I blushed furiously and opened my mouth to speak. "I…um…" I tried to speak, but nothing came out, making me stand there like a complete fool.

Both girls scrunched their eyebrows and eyed each other. Suddenly, the red-head perked as she saw something and slapped the brunette's arm to attention. They spun around and at the same time squeaked, "Hi, Anthony!"

I turned as well and practically jumped with surprise to see a tall boy standing right behind me. He had dark brown hair that slightly hung in front of his brown eyes. He started straight at me with a dirty and frustrated look. "Alex! I told you! You were supposed to stay with me. Where did you go?!"

I stared back at him. "Wait, wha~?"

The boy (Anthony, I assumed) groaned and grabbed my forearm. "Whatever, just come on." He began to drag me away with him. "Sorry, Sydney and Michelle! I have to drag your little friend away for a while."

Anthony flew across the cafeteria and we heard a desperate, "Oh! It's okay, Anthony! YOU CAN COME BACK ANYTIME!" behind us.

"Mate!" I panted as I waddled behind. "I think you're mistaking me for someone else. I'm not Alex!"

He flung me into a seat at a table that one more person was sitting at. He had bright blue eyes that sparkled as Anthony and I appeared, as if he had been watching the entire performance. As Anthony let go of me, the other boy swiped his distinctive bowl haircut out of his eyes and leaned across the table.

"You're not?" Anthony tsked. "Well, it was a good guess I suppose. Sorry, you just looked like an Alex from behind. I took my best guess, is all."

"Wha~?"

Anthony placed his hands on my shoulder and plopped me into a seat before letting me finish. "You seemed a little…" He and the other boy laughed into their chests. "…lost talking to Sydney and Michelle. Ian and I here~" The brunette waved as his name was called, "~decided to lend you a hand."

"Yeah," Ian continued as we shook hands. "First thing a girl should know about this school is DO NOT make conversation or even interact with Sydney and Michelle. They're bad news."

"Though I guess they're better now than they will ever be. Elizabeth went on the exchange program, right?"

"She did, and dually noted, Ian." I nodded, glancing over to Sydney and Michelle's table, who had their arms folded and were giving me the stink eye. I quickly turned away and avoided eye contact. "Thanks for the help, by the way. Is it that obvious I'm new?"

Ian laughed and nodded his head. Anthony quickly elbowed his ribs and quieted him down. As Ian shrugged and asked what he did, Anthony answered, "Just by your uniform. The name's Anthony, by the way. Anthony Padilla. Nice accent!"

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "I could say the same to you!" I held out my hand and he shook it. "Lucy Lylles. As I'm sure you have guessed, I'm on the exchange program. I'm from Manchester, England."

Anthony grinned and his eyes sparkled. "So!" He leaned back in his chair and put his hands on the back of his head. "How are you liking America? The 'States'?"

I told them about the few things I had seen the days I was there. I mentioned America's comparison to England and about my host family, the Lucias.

"The Lucias?" Ian questioned. "As in, Elizabeth Lucia?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess she's back home with Mum."

"Jesus," Ian sighed. "I hope your mom's going to be okay for the next couple of months."

"Same here," I laughed. "Or else I won't be hearing the last of it." The warning bell rang. Five minutes and lunch would be over. Realizing I still had no idea where to go, I pulled my schedule out of my bag.

"Why didn't I think of that!" Anthony leaped over the table and grabbed my schedule. He placed it between himself and Ian as they judged and compared.

"Damn! Multivariable calculus? What are you, smart?" He kidded.

"Hey!" Anthony perked. "We have chemistry together! Mr. Sievers is awesome, you'll like him." The final bell rang and students scrambled to get to class, including Ian, who claimed he forgot to go to his locker beforehand. I peeked my head over the crowd to find Anthony again. Eventually, I spotted Anthony's black hair that hangs slightly over his eyes. His hand reached through the crowd and grabbed mine. "Here, I'll take you there. C'mon! We're going to be late!"


	4. Chapter 3

**Yeah, so the chapter before this was kind of boring D: I've had it written for a while, but I wanted to make sure I posted something that actually started this crazy adventure. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Lucy's Point of View**

The solution changed colors and began to simmer at the top. Quickly and smoothly, I popped the bubbles with a paper towel and dispose of the waste. I stood back in achievement and relaxed. _All done._

"Alright, I think we're good, mate!" Anthony didn't respond. I looked over curiously at him to see his face pale and mouth open. "What?"

"You…you actually did it?"

I gave a confused glance. "Yeah, it's just a simple chemical reaction. Diethyl phthalate with phenylethynyl anthracene. Add trichlorophenyl oxalate, or TCPO, sodium acetate, and then hydrogen peroxide.

Anthony stared at me with awe, his jaw wide open like I had just cured cancer.

"What?" I asked, looking around. "What did I do? Did I do it wrong?"

"No," Anthony laughed drily and grinned. "You did it. You actually did it!"

A hand swept between Anthony and I and grabbed our beaker. "Well, there's not much of a mess for me to clean up, so I approve, too!"

I jumped and spun around, but Anthony simply piped, "Yeah! Oh, and it was ALL me, Mr. Sievers. Aren't you proud?"

Mr. Sievers held the beaker to the light and observed the work. "Yeah, I'm sure it was ALL you, Padilla. I'm sure Ms. '4.5 GPA Lucy' had nothing to do with it." As he made his way to the light switch, Mr. Sievers tapped the back of Anthony's head jokingly. The class laughed as the lights went off.

"See, guys?" the beaker shined a fluorescent green. The class ooed and awed. "This is what it is SUPPOSED to look like." Students stared at their own beakers and shrugged.

"Mixing all the solutions create a chemical reaction that makes a glow-like substance as a byproduct. In other words, what is it, Ms. Lucy?"

"It's a glow stick."

"Precisely!" Mr. Sievers put the beaker back in front of me. "Fabulous work, Lucy. I'm glad I finally have someone in this room that at least PRETENDS they're interested!" He shot a sarcastic look to Anthony, who claimed he 'pretended very well, thank you very much!'.

As the class cleaned up, Anthony and I continued to talk nonstop like we had before. In just one class period, I knew so much about him, and his life was so exciting! He had two sisters, two brothers, and a mom and dad to control it all. Anthony said his family travels a lot because his dad was in the military, but planned to stay in California until he graduated in a few months. But with all that travel comes adventure, because he was able to go see places like India and South Africa. Anthony also mentioned he and Ian have a YouTube channel that they started a few months ago called 'Smosh'.

"It's really small right now," he justified as he washed his hands off. "I don't know if it's really worth anything, but it's fun, and I have a good feeling about it."

I smiled broadly at him. "I'm glad you have fun with that," he stepped out of the sinks way so I could rinse my hands as well. "You two are quite the pair. I'm sure the videos are something to see."

When I glance back up at him, Anthony was staring at me with curious and thinking eyes. "What?"

"Speaking of Smosh, we're filming something later today at a beach not too far from here. Maybe you would like to come?"

Ecstatic, I almost said yes automatically. But reality set in, and I remembered, "I can't. The foreign exchange committee has a 'special event' planned today. It's an astoundingly fun trip to..." I emptied out my pocket to find the itinerary.

"Oh!" I gasped with fake enthusiasm. Anthony chuckled. "The city of Sacramento! Gee, I bet it's completely different than Manchester!"

"Not too excited, are you?"

"The thing is," I explained. "All the activities the committee has planned are mainly for the forgiven exchange students from Singapore and places. Not for me, really. And I knew that. I knew America wouldn't be much different."

"Then why did you come?" he raised his eyebrows at me as our final beaker was clean. "Why would you spend all this money to do something that was just like home?"

I paused and blushed, putting down my towel and turning away. Anthony had told me everything about himself, and I had said almost nothing about mine. To be truthful, I was embarrassed about my real life. About my crappy apartment, which looked even worse compared to these Californian big suburbs. About the financial aid. About the fact there was no way I could have afforded the trip without the school's help. _How do I tell someone who has it all that?_

"Oh, I just...it sounded like fun, you know? Going to an American school and all." Guilt sank into my heart, but I pushed it away.

"I have to disagree." the bell rang and Anthony and I continued the conversation as we headed our ways home. "What DOES sound like fun is…" Anthony jumped in front of me and knelt.

"Going to the beach with you and Ian?" I grinned and pushed him out of the way. "I don't know, Anthony. I just got here! The last thing I want to get into trouble." I walked ahead with my books hugged to my chest. I heard a sigh behind me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Lucy," he place his hands on my shoulders and smiled softly. "It's your first day here! You're the smart British exchange student who obviously does not know how to have fun. Please?" his big brown eyes begged. _How could I say no?_

I sighed and nodded, remorsefully. "I guess I could pretend I'm sick or something..."

"Yay!" Anthony leaped on the air and hugged me. "You won't regret it, I promise. Come on, let's go!" With a spring in his step, Anthony gripped my arm and ran through the busy halls toward the exit. We met Ian along the way, whose arm was also man-handled and dragged through the busy parking lot.

Ian eventually noticed I was lugged from the other side. "Hey! You're the British kid we rescued right?" I shrugged as Ian asked Anthony if he noticed a posh kid was running alongside him.

"LUCY-" Anthony pressed, nudging Ian in the side. "Is coming to the beach with us. I invited her. Isn't that nice, Ian?" Anthony unlocked his car and stared Ian down.

"Oh, I never said it wasn't!" He stuck out his tongue and then turned to me. "Hop in, new kid! Get ready to see the BEAUTIFUL Californian shoreline~!"

"~which looks like every other beach, but still!" Anthony tossed back his phone so I could tell my host parents what was going on. Though I was honest about where I was going, I 'forgot' to mention there was another place I should have been. But when the guys started going back and forth about the most random things, I couldn't keep a smile off my face. _This or a trip to another boring town? I'd take this any day._

* * *

**Anthony's point of view**

Ian lowered the camera from me and motioned Lucy over. "Now, Lucy. Run over to Anthony, kick him in the crotch, and do one of those girly hair flips. Be all, 'Oh my god, Anthony! This is NOT the Hawaiian vacation I asked for! UGH!' in your best American accent. This video is about annoying girlfriends. Dig deep! And...action!"

Lucy did as she was directed, and I must say, she wasn't bad. When it came time for her to speak in her American accent, however, I couldn't help but ruin the scene by laughing at her.

Lucy flushed and pushed my shoulder. I lost my balance and collided with the wet sand. My hand flew to my face, trying to muffle my laughs, but they simply turned to spurs of snorts. Ian, who tried his hardest to keep a straight face, fell to my contagious laughter and joined me.

"Oh, come off it! The both of you!" Lucy giggles shyly at herself and continued to blush. "I have never done one before!" She circled her face with her finger. "British, remember?!"

"Oh, I remember!" A mischievous smirk formed on my face as a smart idea crept into my mind. "Hey, British kid! How about a taste of the Pacific Ocean?"

I jumped and grabbed Lucy's legs, thrusting her up onto my shoulder. She squealed and kicked softly. "Anthony! Put me down! Put me down!"

My knee locked and I toppled over, bringing Lucy with me. We fell on top of each other with a loud thump. At first, I was worried that she was hurt because her hands shielded her face and her chest shook. But after her face was uncovered, I could see she was laughing so hard she couldn't speak.

Relieved she was okay, I wiped the frown off my face. "Now," I crawled toward her. "Let's try that again, shall we?"

"No!" Lucy yelped and evaded my grip. She leaped up and ran toward the sand grass to her left.

I was about to follow her until Ian's voice stopped me. "Dude. THAT'S what you call smooth? And you call me a flirt..."

"What?" I shrugged.

"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Ant. I've known you for too long. You like her. A lot." Before I could disagree, Ian cut me off. "Yes, you do! Now, I don't care, I just want you to be careful. Remember, she's an exchange student; she'll be gone in three months."

I tried my best to poke a hole in his accusation, but here as no way out. "You're right," I sighed. "I do. And I know she's leaving in a couple of months so there's not much I can do. But, Ian, look at her! She's just so..."

I looked around to point her out, but Lucy was nowhere in sight. "Hey, where is she?"

A loud, terrified scream answered me. Ian and I shot heads towards each other and exchanged scared looks. "Lucy?" I called, but, as I had feared, no response came.

We sprinted around in the direction we last saw Lucy, both of us yelling out her name, frantically. I made a sharp right as Ian looked to the left. My eyes darted around my surroundings, but Lucy was nowhere to be found. My heart raced faster as my anxiety kicked in. _Could the impossible have happened? Was she-?_

"-Anthony! I found her!" Ian called from behind me. Relief flooded over me as I spun around to see Ian with his arm over Lucy's shoulder. He was talking to her softly while she sobbed and breathed in sputters.

I sprinted over to them just as Lucy's legs gave out. Ian and I caught her as she fell and place her gently on the ground. "What happened?" I asked over her cries, but it only made her more upset.

"I don't know, she can't tell me." Ian answered for her. "She keeps pointing back there," he motioned toward a part of the sand grass. "Go look, I'll stay with Lucy!"

Running to the grasses, my eyes scanned and found nothing_. Lucy doesn't seem like the girl who gets spooked by a snake_, I thought_. What could it have possibly-?_

My foot stepped on something soft and squishy and my heart stopped. The last thing I wanted to do was look down at what was dripping all over my shoe, but I knew I had to. I let my shaky eyes fall and lifted my leg.

Covered completely with sand, a large object was drenched in red and sticky dried blood. White long lines were remnants of bones, and poked out of the ripped charred clothing. I gulped back tears as the stench reached my nose. There was nothing else I needed to see to know what it was right in front of me.

It was a burned, dead body, and its blood-shot eyes were staring right into mine.


	5. Chapter 4

"Looks like a typical alcohol fatality, Jim," the policeman bent over the black body bag and peeked inside. "Even smells like some kind of gin or something."

"Looks like the guy passed out up on the ledge up there," Jim motioned to the ledge above the highway and used his pencil to draw an invisible line. "And toppled over the cliff. TOD is 16-17 hours ago, so it was about one o'clock in the morning when he fell off the cliff, skid across the road, and landed in the sand grass here."

"What is with the burns though?" The other questioned, observing the distinctive third-degree burns that covered the man's body.

"Most likely friction and road burns from the fall." Jim shook his head and sighed. "I don't know. The point is this poor fellow is dead, and he was only... How old, Tom?"

"24. His name was Adam Ziegler. From what we've turned over, he is (well, was) a college student at American River College. Smart boy, he was."

Jim tsked, "It only takes one mistake, doesn't it?" He put a comforting hand on his new-to-the-job companion's shoulder and called the morgue nurse over. "We're all good over here. Take this poor guy away. We'll contact his family once we're back at the station."

"What about them?" Tom pointed to the teens all huddled under a stress blanket, talking to a fellow officer. "They're just kids."

"I know, it's awful. They'll never forget this." Jim opened the door for his new deputy.

"I hear one of them is from England or something. First time to America. Way to make an impression, right?"

"Yeah, it sure is not the way to start out a visit. Come on, Tom. We'll talk more on the way to the station. Our work here is done."

* * *

**Anthony's Point of View**

Lucy stared off into the hills of the beach, her face blank and emotionless. The police officer repeated her name and tilted his head down. "Lucy? You with us?"

I placed a soft hand under her stress blanket and onto her shoulder. She jumped at my touch and spun her head around. "What?" she gasped.

"Lucy," I said in almost a whisper. "Officer Mason asked you a question."

"Oh," Lucy swallowed and looked up with only her eyes to the officer. "I'm sorry. I...didn't hear you."

"I asked you if you remember seeing anything out of the ordinary here at the beach."

_No, nothing out of the ordinary besides the fact there was a dead corpse just twenty feet away from us! _I thought to myself, but Lucy answered no.

"There was nothing different," Lucy replied. She shook as she spoke, and I squeezed her shoulder for support. Lucy instantly stopped shaking and relaxed. "It...seemed...like any other beach I've been to. Here, or at home."

The officer jotted down notes, and Lucy's last comment raised his eyebrows. "Right, I wanted to talk to you about that. It would be understandable if you wanted to go back to England after...all this." My heart saddened as I knew this would be true. I held my breath and rubbed my tired face_. If only we never came here. None of this would have ever happened. _I just wanted to go home and forget. "We could-"

"No!" Lucy sprang out of her seat and eyes widened. Everyone was shocked at her response and quieted. The spur of the moment ended and Lucy slightly blushed. "I want to stay. I'll be fine, really." The officer seemed dubious. He shook his head and pushed the talk button on his radio.

"Please," Lucy begged with a solemn whisper. "Let me stay."

The officer stared at her in stupidity and through his hands in the air. "Whatever. Fine, Ms. Lylles. Let's just get you all home and try to forget this all happened. We've all contacted your parents to let them know in advanced. You won't have to worry about breaking this to them once you get back."

_Oh, great. Mom knows. Now I REALLY wanted to go home..._

* * *

**Lucy's Point of View**

The car ride to school a week later was as long as ever. Partially because I was anxious to get there, but mostly because Mrs. Lucia glanced at me with pursed lips and a shaking head every few seconds (as if I hadn't noticed). We both knew what she was thinking, and when she pulled into the school parking lot, it poured out of her mouth like a bucket.

"Lucy," Mrs. Lucia's voice cracked and she stiffened a cry. _Oh, good Lord._ _Not again!_

"I…I really don't think going to school today is a good idea." Mrs. Lucia sighed of relief as if she had been holding in that 'dirty secret' for years. Her eyes gleamed and, in triumph, she nodded in satisfaction. "It's not a smart idea and you should stay home today. Maybe for the next couple days, I don't know! What you went through last week was…was…" Her lip quivered.

Hiding my annoyance from hearing this speech are multiple times, I gulped my argument and placed a gentle hand on hers. "Mrs. Lucia," I gave a warm smile that brought a calm one on her tear-stained face. "I promise you that I am fine. I am a big girl who is ready to face the world again. Yes, what happened was very scary, but I refuse to let it ruin the rest of my time here."

Mrs. Lucia squealed and pulled my into a gigantic hug. I stopped myself from being 'rude' and gasping for breath. Lifting my wrist, I checked my watched and realized I was already going to be late. _Now, I REALLY don't have time for this. _I rolled my eyes and tapped her slowly on the back. "There, there…"

"Alright," Mrs. Lucia sniffed and pulled herself together. "Go and have a great day."

Relieved, I nodded obediently and thanked her for the ride. Mrs. Lucia drove safely away as I, once again, waited anxiously at the sidewalk, staring at Del Campo's school campus. What the day had in store for me today, I had no idea. And I wasn't going to know until I took another step forward_. Here we go again._

* * *

The second day. First block: Study Hall. Stepping blindly into classroom, I spotted the two people I had tried my best to avoid: Ian and Anthony say on top of a table in the back room.

I expected whispers followed me as I walked with a spring in my step through the halls. I expected word to have spread about the 'incident' that occured a week ago, and everyone to know who was there. But nothing came. It seemed the police hadn't released what happened to the media yet. The only outsiders who knew about Ziegler were Ian, Anthony, our parents, and myself. We all hid the scary memory from everyone else, pretending nothing had happened. And it wasn't easy, at least not for me. _I wonder how Ian and Anthony are dealing…_

Oh, shit. Ian and Anthony! What do I say to them? What will they say to me? I haven't come to school for a week; they probably thought I changed my mind and went home. Are they mad? What am I supposed to do? _Dear Lord, maybe Mrs. Lucia was right. Maybe I should have stayed back at the house today. Maybe I have some time to think about an escape plan._

"Lucy!"

_Son of a bitch! _"Oh, hey guys!" Ian and Anthony both bear-hugged me from behind. Questions filled the air of where I was and what had happened.

"I told you she didn't go back to England, Anthony!"

Anthony looked to the floor, shyly. "I thought you did."

"Mrs. Lucia had me on lock-down at the house." I explained as each guy grabbed one of my arms, intertwined theirs with mine, and lead me off to study hall. "She didn't even want me to come today. She's been a little bit paranoid ever since…" By their faces, I saw they got the picture.

"Right, we wanted to talk to you about that." Ian nudged Anthony to attention and they both cleared their throats. "You see, we wanted to say~"

"Ms. Lylles!" A firm but happy hand plopped onto my shoulder. I spun around and stood to see Mr. Sievers gazing down at me with his signature smile. "How great to see you! I need you for study hall today. You missed a lab this week. I need you to finish it as soon as possible so I can get rid of the leftover chemicals for good."

"Oh~!" I began, looking back at Ian and Anthony.

"~Sorry, old boys!" Mr. Sievers piped, leading me down the opposite way. "I'm afraid it can't wait any longer. She's a smart girl, though. It shouldn't take long." And with that, I was whisked away once again.

* * *

Hands and mind busy, I was able to clear my mind of all the drama of the last week, and I whipped through the chemical combination in no time. A simple experiment involving the recovery of by-products from hardwood carbonization with proligneous acid; I had done it before. The other students also in the classroom slumped over their failed projects as Mr. Sievers congratulated me on another job well done. Full of pride, I began to clean up my success. I was back in my mojo, and it felt right.

Still, the hollow feeling in my gut refused to cease. I set down the test tubes by the sink, rested my weight on my wrists, and sighed. _What am I going to do?_ I complained. _If only I had gone on that stupid trip planned by the committee, none of this would have ever~_

My thoughts were interrupted by the shift of my hand. My finger rubbed over something small and grainy. _Salt. _I figured.

_But wait. This experiment didn't call for salt. _I looked down and lifted it up. It was white and wet, as if someone had tried to wipe it up. My heart raced and jumped to my throat as I realized what it was.

It wasn't salt. It was sand, and my eyes closed as a flashback overtook me.

_A hand covered with beach sand turned the sink on to full power as it rinsed itself off. But it shook with fear, disgusted at what deed it performed. But the hand did not know it hadn't washed itself off completely as it reached for the hand towel. Drops of wet sand stuck to the table without sounding any alarm. The hand moved on (thinking all evidence was already down the drain) to the vile on its right. They were almost empty of the dangerous liquids they contained. What power that bottle held._

Shaking, I knew what I had to do with the vile on my right, that sat there, half-empty with dangerous fillings as well. With a sputtered breath, I prepared myself with the vile my right hand. With a small twitch of the hand, a drop of proligneous acid slid out of the vile and onto my finger. The acid ate through my skin as I cried out in agony, despite my biggest will to keep quiet. My eyes flooded with tears as I gripped my wound. Eventually, I opened my eyes to see what I had been looking for.

And once again, my scientific knowledge was right. As I had guessed, it was a match. The wound on my finger was the same as the burns on Adam Ziegler's body. He wasn't a drunk; he didn't pass out on a cliff, and I knew because those weren't pavement burns. They were proligneous acid burns.

Adam Ziegler's death wasn't an accident. He was murdered.

And I knew who did it.

And I jumped out of my skin when I heard his voice.

"Lucy! Are you alright? What happened?"

I jerked my hand behind my back and felt the blood drain from my face. "Oh god…" I breathed.

Mr. Sievers leaned over and retrieved my burnt hand. His tsked. "Well, it's not too bad. You don't need a chemical bath or anything. Just head to the restroom and wash it with warm water. Would you like me to walk you there?" He motioned toward the door, and I took a quick step back in fear. Mr. Sievers wore a confused face. "Is there…something wrong?"

My heart beat in my ears and my breathing quickened. "Nothing," I lied through my teeth. "Nothing at all. I just… I'll be right back, then."

Trying not to faint on the way, I walked smoothly out of the classroom; when I reached the hallway, however, I went into a full out sprint towards study hall. _God, please let him be out. PLEASE let him be out. _

My prayers were answered. As I turned the corner, I spotted Anthony, walking the hallways during class. With a loud, wheezing whisper, I called his name as I speed up from behind him. Confused, he spun around as I gripped his arm and dragged him into the nearest girls' bathroom.

"Lucy!" Anthony immediately blushed at his surroundings and giggled. Once he caught a glimpse of my pale and stricken face, he whipped the smile of his. "Lucy, what's wrong?"

My knees gave out and I fell to the floor, but Anthony caught my shoulders before I could collide with the ground. My lips quivered. No words came out.

"Lucy!" He screamed and lifted my face to him. "What. Happened."

A single, scared tear fell from my eye. "Anthony, you have no idea."


	6. Chapter 5

**Yeah, so. It's been a while.**

**Like a really, really long time.**

**Like. REALLY.**

**And all I can say is I am so sorry! Most of you probably thought I gave up on this story, and I can assure you, I have (and will!) not! These two chapters were very specific and had to be written exactly right so it wouldn't screw up the entire story. And it took me a while, but here they are! Enjoy! Please review if you deem worthy! I'd love to hear from you guys!**

* * *

**Lucy's Point of View**

"My God," Anthony placed his head on his forearms, which spread across his bent knees. I had told him everything; every last detail from my vision to the truth it became. And with every word, Anthony's eyes widened, eventually looking down out of distraction.

"So, now I guess I go to the police." I sighed. "Get this whole thing solved, once and for all."

His head popped up. "You can't go to the police!" Anthony cried frantically. "What are you talking about?!"

My jaw dropped open. "What are _you_ talking about? I have proof that someone was murdered, Anthony! Do you expect me to keep it to myself?"

Anthony shook his head vigorously. "You don't have evidence for anything, so yes! Listen, Lucy. You have an acidic burn on your pinky that is physically similar to highway-friction burns found on a body. You found sand in a science lab, where we commonly use sand for experiments all the time. Your imagination is getting way ahead of you."

Anthony saw me stare at him in disbelief. He threw his head back and mouthed 'How did I know this would happen?'. "Before Mr. Sievers dragged you away, Ian and I were about to say we didn't want what happened at the beach to go to your head. The way you acted when you saw the body, I was terrified it would. The police are solving (no, _have_ solved!) this case. Sometimes, things are as they seem. We know you're a smart girl, Lucy. We figured you might try to~"

"Do something like this?" Rage filled my veins as blood began to boil. "Go crazy and make up conspiracies? Yeah, definitely. That was my _whole _plan!"

"Lu~"

"Oh, don't 'Lucy,' me! It's out there now, there's no denying it. I've let my imagination get the best of me, have I? Fine!" I stood up, straight and proud, dusting off my clothes from the dirty tiled floor. "I don't need your help. In my most humble opinion, I don't even know why I bothered to tell you! It's not like you helped, anyway."

Anthony jumped up of the floor, obviously infuriated as well. He leaned over me with beady eyes (I had forgotten how much bigger than me he was.) "Well, I'm sorry I gave you a slice of reality, Lucy! Sorry I had to tell you that you are completely overacting to absolutely nothing! Mr. Sievers is a great guy, the best teacher at this school! He thinks you're brilliant and ADORES you, and this is how you repay him? That shows what a great person YOU are! You're smart, Lucy, too much for your own good. I thought you were more than the brilliant exchange student; I thought you were kind and stronger than to flip the fuck out when something happened. And I was stupid to think you were more than that."

His words were like swords, stabbing me with every syllable. He hurt me because I hurt him, but I refused to stop it there. "Oh, I'm a whole much more than that, and you're about to see it. While you wait like a sad coward, I'm going to solve this, with your help or not. So fuck you, Anthony Padilla, and who needs you!"

And with that, I stormed out of the bathroom, Anthony yelling, 'You should have gone back to England, you crazy bitch!'. The air outside was much cooler on my skin that it was in the bathroom. Suddenly, I felt incredible remorse, and almost considered going back, but my feet propelled me forward, leaving the sad and terrible circumstance behind me.

* * *

The police station was only a couple blocks from the school, so at the end of the day I walked over instead of heading home. Still, with every step, I felt guiltier and guiltier about what I had said to Anthony. He didn't deserve that.

But he didn't believe me, and I knew in the pit of my gut, I was right. I knew ever since we saw the body something was wrong, and I was determined to figure out what.

"Can I help you?" Before I knew it, I was inside the station and the receptionist stood up to help. I cleared my throat and asked to see...oh what was his name? "Officer Mason, please. I need to speak to him about something urgent."

A man behind her turned around at the sound of his name. "Who's that?" Officer mason spotted me and his smile faded. "Ms. Lylles? What are you~"

"Officer Mason! I have something to tell you about the~"

He glided toward me, sneakily grabbing a vanilla folder on the desk, and took me by the shoulder. "Let's talk outside." His voice suddenly raised and he wore a big, fake smile to everyone around him. "Please try to understand, Ms. Lylles. Here at the precinct, we have everything clear and under control!"

Once the doors were completely closed, his manner changed and he looked at me angrily. "Lucy! What are you doing here?"

"I have something to show you about the bod~"

"~No!" He clenched his fists and sniffed angrily. "Lucy...this is a closed investigation with professionals. Whatever you have to say~"

"~is important!"

"No, it's not." I scrubbed my eyebrows and he merely shrugged. "I'm sorry, but whatever you think you know is insignificant." He opened the folder, and I found that it was the case file. The papers toward me, Officer Mason pointed out the top line. "The case is closed, we know all what happened. The poor soul got drunk, passed out on a cliff, rolled and hit concrete, and was killed on impact."

"That's the thing!" I prompted. "That's not what killed him, and I think I know what did. I have reasons to believe that he was murdered."

Officer mason raised one eyebrow. "What?"

"Remember when we ~well, you~ discovered the burns on his body? Well, those weren't formed by the pavement, alright. I have reason to believe they were from proligneous acid, an acid that burns the flesh."

"Well..." Officer mason was fazed for only a second, but quickly rejected defeat and cleared his throat. "Well, even if that's true ~and I am not saying it is!~ that's not the COD. He was burned to death by fire. A small friction fire we know was caused by the friction of the concrete."

_Good point, but I'm not giving up yet!_ "Then that proves my point even farther! Proligneous acid is extremely flammable, probably one of the most flammable chemicals in the entire world. The real reason you thought the flame burns were from the concrete is because you found fragments of it in his skin right?"

"Because it's the most reasonable solution! Lucy, it's time to get real. This is NOT "Law and Order"; these crazy accusations never happens in real life! You are talking fiction!"

"NO I'M NOT! LOOK AT MY FINGER!" As a last resort, I removed the band-aid to uncover the disgusting acidic burn on my pinky. I lifted it up my face to show, but instead Officer Mason gasping in surprise, it was me. I saw it and my stomach gulped to my throat. I

It was gone. The burn was completely and utterly healed from my finger. All pain (and evidence) was erased. "But..."

"Do you think this is funny, Ms. Lylles? Was all this just a plan to humiliate me and the squad?"

"No, but please-"

"You think just because you get good grades that you're smarter than the Sacramento Police Department? Well, let me be the first and last one to tell you that you are not. You are a child, and a naive one at that. You should have listened to everyone else when they told you that you should go back to England. This whole thing has gone to your head, and it's about time for reality check." With the case folder tightly held to his chest, Officer Mason opened the door back up and shook his head at me. "Good day to you, Lucy Lylles." And he was gone, leaving me with my jaw dropped open, in the dust.

My legs felt numb as my heart beat fast. _They don't believe me. Why will no one believe me?!_

_Because you're a stupid kid, _Anger answered. _Or at least they think you are._

I pivoted around and headed back where I came from, defeated. _So, what do I do now?_

_We've established this ourselves, Lucy. _Anger responded. _What's the main problem?_

_I have no clear evidence Mr. Sievers is connected to the crime. That's why no one is taking me seriously._

_And the only way they will is if you have the actual chemicals from his lab. That way, you can test the chemicals and fingerprints from the bottles. Then, demand to see the body to test for chemical similarities. All put together, Mr. Sievers will be held in contempt due to circumstance. THEN, and only then, we can let the police put two-and-two together.._

_That's brilliant! _I commented my anger and it flourished. _But how do we get the chemicals? This is the last day Mr. Sievers has them; he said he was throwing them away._

_Then we will have to get them before he does. Remember the window on the bottom floor?_

_Yeah… _Where was it going with this?

_If you go tonight, we can get the evidence we need. _It persuaded.

_You mean break in? That's breaking-and-entering! It's incredibly illegal! And if I'm caught, there will be even more trouble because I'm a foreign visitor!_

_Then don't get caught, stupid. Be quick and smart. You can do that, right?_

_I guess… _I reluctantly agreed.

_Let's do it, then! Don't worry, Lucy! We will prove 'um wrong. We will prove them ALL wrong!_

I laughed along nervously. _You better be right,_ I hoped. _Because what I'm about to endure is nothing like anything I've ever done before._


	7. Chapter 6

**Lucy's Point of View**

_This was crazy. This was absolutely insane._

But it was true. Something was wrong and it needed to be fixed. _And if no one was going to help me fix it, would have to do it on my own._

I held the notebook in front of my face. Already five pages of my tiny hand writing were filled with conspiracies and all the evidence I had. The chemicals, the comparison between the acid wound and the body's burns, everything down to the new evidence I found.

When Officer Mason told me the case was closed, he opened the case file to show me. Instantaneously, I took a mental note and scanned the entire profile. Most on the information I already knew, but one thing marked my mind: a shoe footprint uncovered by forensics. _Could that be important?_

Before I could decide, a knock came at my door and I shoved the notebook behind me. "Come in."

Mrs. Lucia entered with a tired but sweet hello. "I'm going to turn in. Is there anything else you need, dear?" Faking a smile, I shook my head 'no' and wished her a good night. The close of the door was my signal. I was off.

I threw the bed sheet off of me, revealing my black sweatshirt and jeans to disguise me in the dark in the night. In the mirror, I threw my hair into a high pony tail. Once in the mirror, I took a glimpse at myself a different way. _What I was about to do could get me in a _hell _of a lot of trouble._

But I could do this. I had to do this, and I was stalling. I snuck out through the patio door (which I promised to lock, but "forgot"). Once the cool breeze touched my face, a small shiver of realization went down my spine. _Here we go. One and for all_.

* * *

It took me about a twenty-minutes' walk, but eventually I made it to the school. No lights were on and the world seemed to be scared silent. Hiding behind a bush, I spotted the window I picked out earlier that day. It was high above the hallway, creating a high chance no one would bother to fix the broken and faulty lock. With three pressed breaths, I sprinted across the street and hid out of sight from the security cameras, and made my way to the window.

The window was double-handled, with one on the inside and one on the outside. If I remembered correctly, the lock was broken due to the inside handle pushed to the left too far, slightly pushing the window up. _If I could push the outside handle the same way, then a lever would be created. The window would pop open, virtually unnoticeable and silent. _

With all my might, I pushed down on the right side. Slowly, the handle moved, but a sudden force of adrenaline cause it to suddenly snap into place, taking my thumb underneath it. I recoiled and shook my hand forcefully, cursing under my breath. But the pain quickly receded when I saw my plan was successful. The window sprang open and I pushed it to the inside. The window's quiet squeak seemed to scream down the empty corridors. Crawling across the top of the lockers where I landed, I closed the window and hopped down, lunging into the ground to break my fall.

I was relieved I picked a window only the hallway next to Mr. Siever's lab because I could barely see my hand in front of my face as ominous flickering lights barely illuminated the dark. Using my fingertips as guides, I shuffled down the hallway. And my eyes were barely starting to adjust when a bright light beamed onto my face when I turned the corner. _Who's here? It's 11:45; everyone, even the janitors, should be home._

My heart quickened. I knew if these people saw me sneaking around the school, I would have no escape and would be in a shit load of trouble. Doing the best to calm myself down, I first tried to figure out how far from this door Mr. Siever's lab was. _Maybe I could~_

_~But wait. _By the familiar physics poster board (the only one in the bottom floor of the school), I suddenly apprehended that this was Mr. Sievers room. My heart fell as I figured this whole mission may have been a bust. _I can't get in there. I bet you anything that is Mr. Siever himself! What can I do now? Maybe if I see into the room I can…surprise him…or…something. God, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, do I?_

On all fours, I crawled to the edge of the door frame. My back against the wall, I pulled my make-up mirror and angled it toward the door's window, taking extreme precaution not to reflect light off of it, creating a noticeable flash.

On the mirror came a reflected image of (as I had suspected) Mr. Sievers. But someone else was in the room as well. A man dressed in a black suit spoke harshly to Mr. Sievers, who returned it right back with strong words that flowed under the door. Curiosity overcame me. _What are they talking about? _In an instant, I powered-up my iPod with iTalk and began to record the conversation. Placing it into my back pocket, I cautiously rolled around to press my ear on the door and my left hand on the door knob so my leaning wouldn't open it.

"I'm just saying, John. This was close." _That must have been the other man, because it's not Mr. Siever's voice._

"Oh, shut up, Andrews, I know! I know!" A loud crash came from inside, followed by another dirty cuss.

"Calm yourself, Sievers." The man's voice was stern, but I could sense hidden fear in his voice. "You don't want to end up like Ziegler, do you?"

My hand squeezed into a tight ball. _I knew Mr. Sievers was involved. I __knew__ it!_

"Of course not, and I would never betray anyone like he did in the first place." The garbage disposal rang with a grumbling roar. "But there!" Mr. Sievers almost cheered in relief. "All evidence is gone. Problem solved…right?" _Fuck! The chemicals! Goddamn, I was so close!_

"Well, good," The man replied, not any more relieved or any less angry. "Next time, don't be so naïve to use proligneous acid in a class lab right after we 'removed' someone with it. The Illuminati will not be so forgiving of your stupid mistakes next time."

My hand slapped to my face to hide my gasp. _The Illuminati? __THE__ Illuminati? The Free Masons, the society formed hundreds of years ago? _Flashed of everything I knew about them shot into my brain: they eye of the American dollar's pyramid, and so on. _Them?! THEY'RE behind this?! No fucking way!_

_Oh my God! _I realized suddenly. _Please, PLEASE, tell me I got that on record! _My remaining hand flew to my back pocket, feeling for the iPod.

But it wasn't there. _Wha~?_

"Looking for this?" A deep voice from behind me made my skin grow cold. I spun around to see two men wearing the same suit as the person inside. Their arms were folded on their chests and they gazed down upon me. I saw the man who spoke lift my iPod into the air for me to see, break it in half with one fist crunch. "You're in a whole bunch of trouble, missy."

I gulped and flew backwards, my hand twitching the door knob. I tumbled into the science lab, my head colliding with the floor. I looked up to see Mr. Sievers and the other man gasp, taking a step back. I flipped over into a crouching position with my heart beating in my ears.

"Someone was a little too curious on what you guys were saying." A hand flew behind me and grabbed my hair. I cried as it thrust me upwards to a stand. My hands threw to the other cold, clammy fist to try to regain freedom.

I made weary eye contact with Mr. Sievers, who looked as scared as I was. He quickly cleared his complexion as he asked how much I had heard.

"Too much, I'm afraid." My captor tutted. "It looks like we've got another problem to fix tonight."

Something loudly buzzed behind me. Using my peripheral vision, I saw a blue light fizzle on top of a small device. _A taser! _"This shouldn't take long, though." The device buzzed again, but this time, right next to my ear.

With a quick jolt, I dodged the taser and shoved the back of my sneaker right into the groin of my captor. He recoiled in pain, taking some of my hair with him as I jumped over his limp body and sprinted through the halls. "GET HER!"

Panting, I glanced around at my surroundings when I reached the next corridor. _I need to get back to the window! Where is it?! WHERE AM I?!_

Shouts and loud, clunky shoes quickly trailed behind me, motivating me to keep moving forward, even though I had no idea where to go. In a full sprint, I made a sharp left at the end of the locker row, causing my feet to slide into the wall from the wet floors. I did my best to stiffen my cries, but the smallest whimper I made gave my location away. "This way! I found her!"

"Cut her off!"

_Cut me off?! Cut me off from where?! I don't know where __not__ to go! _My shoulder throbbing painfully, I gritted my teeth and headed off to my right. Across the hall, I spotted a tablecloth-covered table. With a swift glance around, I crawled under it and curled myself into a ball. _Please don't find me. _I prayed with shaking hands. _Please, God, don't let them find me…_

Footsteps grew closer, increasing my heart and breathing rate. My eyes had completely adjusted to the dark surroundings, and I could see under the crease of the cloth that one person was standing directly next to the table. My eyes widened as my jaw dropped. All I could do was stay there like a sitting duck, hoping with all my might he wouldn't find me. Anticipation grew as the world fell completely silent and still. And I waited to see what would happen.

The shoes shifted to the left and right, its owner searching frantically for his target. They stopped moving for a second, and began to walk away.

I threw my head back in relief. _Thank you, God. Thank you, thank you, thank you. _ I let out a silent breath and closed my eyes.

Suddenly, the tablecloth was thrown up as a hand flew under the table and grabbed my ankle. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I was dragged like an animal out into the open. A man toppled onto my squirming body. With all my might, I couldn't throw him off. He was too big and too strong, and I was stuck; I was caught as the man lifted up my sweatshirt and collide the buzzing taser on my bare skin.

I squirmed in pain as I felt my muscles cramp and lose their function. My arms and legs were sprawled all around the floor. The man rose off of me as other blurs of people huddled around. My eyes began to roll around in my head and lose vision.

"What do we do now?" One asked.

"We do as we do with everyone else who gets in our way. We solve the problem." The black silhouettes grabbed all four of my limbs and lifted my lifeless body off the ground, as a burlap sack was placed over my head and shut me up for good.


	8. Chapter 7

***cough* So, yeah.**

**It's been a while. But only like... two months.**

**...Whoops.**

**Sorry guys! I have had NO time to write, and I have had NO time to think of a better excuse! I know you've been hearing this a lot from me, but now that school's starting to come to a close and winter guard has finished, I will have a lot more time on my hands. And, to make it up to you guys for being so amazingly awesome and patient, I have three new chapters for you! Wahoo! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Anthony's Point of View**

I didn't see Lucy after school today, so I couldn't give her a ride home. I went over to her house, and she wouldn't see me. I couldn't speak with her; or apologize for what I said.

I felt so awful about what happened; She's not a crazy bitch, she…she just scared me. I refused to believe her, in all her accusations. They couldn't be real…could they?

"No, of course not, Anthony, so stop worrying about it." Ian spoke quietly on his phone. To his mom, it was way too late to be on the phone. If she found out we were talking, he could get in a lot of trouble. I smirked. _And it's only 11:30. _"Whatever happened, I'm sure she's fine. Lucy just is a little excited."

"You mean, too in over her head?" I groaned.

"Maybe so."

Ian's voice was calm and soothing, like always. Unlike me, he never was frazzled. "Just give her some time."

"Fine," I sighed. I threw my unfinished homework with random scribbled numbers into my bag and plopped onto my bed.

"Atta boy." He joked, suppressing a yawn. "Hey, you're running with my tomorrow, right?"

_Shit,_ I rolled my eyes, _Tomorrow's Thursday, right? His stupid running day! _"Yeah, I guess…"

"Thank you!" Ian giggled. I couldn't help but grin. _I hate it when people make me smile when I don't want to._

"And, Tony?"

"Hm?"

"I promise you Lucy's cool. Whatever happened, I'm sure she's fine."

* * *

**Lucy's Point of View**

_Well, Part of that was true. I __was__ crazy, I __was__ in over my head, but I was certainly NOT okay._

I awoke to the car hitting a pothole in the pavement. My head leaped up and collided with the car's interior. _The fuck?..._

Moaning in pain from the collision and my already throbbing head, I went to place my freezing cold hands on my burning forehead.

But they wouldn't go. _What? _I struggled to get my hands room behind my back, but something binded them. It was pitch-black, but I couldn't tell if that was because of where I was, or the blind-fold covering my eyes. Rubbing my fingers along, I realized it was a zip-tie latching them. _Oh my God. _Physically, I could feel the heart beat in my ears. _What they hell is going on? What happened?_

Claustrophobia built. Panic boiled and my breathing rate increased. Too close, too small, too tight! My free legs pushed against the low top of the trunk. They fell back down and hit the side, creating a loud thump. My tears stopped then. _They might know I'm up. I have to be quiet. I have to calm down._

_ Think, Lucy. What happened to you that got you here? _I pressed my eyes together in concentration. The last thing I remember seeing was… men (_four maybe? The picture was so fuzzy…_) crowding over me. I was on the floor, unable to move. But why couldn't I get up?

The driver slammed on the brakes. My body jolted forward by force, colliding with the side of the trunk. The engine stopped its constant roaring as it car parked. With my every useable sense, I tried my best to figure out where I was. I listened; it was quiet, wind blowing through the small holes in the car. Car doors slammed, and voices followed. A huge inhale and I smelled something incredibly familiar. My heart sunk.

_The beach. I smelled the beach. Just like with Ziegler, they were going to erase me. They were going to kill me._

The trunk door flew open as a pair of hands grabbed the collar of my jacket. I gasped as I was lifted to my feet. The blind fold covered my ears as well; what were they saying?

_I have to get away, I have to get away! Think, Lucy, think! Senses, senses, senses!  
Wind! I'm on a beach, which way is the wind blowing? _

It was straight on my face; that must mean the ocean was straight ahead. By the lightness of the air, I must have been on a cliff, most likely the same cliff from last time. Mumbling around me continued and I felt the grip on my jacket loosen._ I need to get out of here, and I've got one shot._

With a burst of energy, my legs pressed against the pavement and sprang to the left. With my hands behind my back and completely blind, I ran in a mad sprint in some direction. The men behind me yelled and came after. Shoes on the road scratched to a halt as their owners jolted to a stop.

But I didn't.

My face crashed into hard rock. I heard my nose crack against the cliff as blood flowed down to my mouth. I must have been out for only a second, for the people chasing me had their hands on me in an instant. Once I opened my eyes again, the blind fold was off and a stared into the fuzzy , starry night.

_What a beautiful night,_ I thought, with an ironic smile on my face. I coughed up blood. The blind fold was now on my neck and two men pressed my shoulders against the cliff to keep me from running, and also passing out again.

I got a good look at them. Once they realized what I was doing, one man reached into his pocket and pointed it towards me. He slipped out a gun that shined in the low moonlight. It was raised to my head.

Panicking in fear, I squirmed from underneath their grasp and screamed, "Stop it, stop it! Please, dear God, don't kill me!"

The cold tip on the gun fell and the hands on my shoulders loosened, leaving bruises. "Do you hear that?" one said. "She's British!" cried another.

My eyes finally readjusted from the collision. Four men in suits, I counted. In the back of the pack was Mr. Sievers who stared at me in fear and shock, slowly shaking his head.

On my right, a man grabbed my face and shoved it towards him. I squeaked when he yelled in my face, "Are you not from here, girl?!" I stared back, shaking. He squeezed harder. "Answer me!"

"No," I breathed. "I'm a foreign exchange student from England."

"To where?" He demanded. Sudden tension increased in the air as all eyes widened even more.

"Del Campo High School. I'm a senior."

Jaws dropped. I licked my lips that must have revealed so much. _What did I say?_

The hands on my face shoved me back to a front face.

All eyes looked to Mr. Sievers. "YOUR school, Sievers? Was she your student?"

"Well-"

Men crowded Sievers even more than me. "You knew she was British?!"

The same guy from the classroom, Andrews, placed a worried hand next to Mr. Sievers. "John, you didn't say she was your student or that she was foreign." He whispered.

_Yest so I'm British! What's the big deal?! _But I kept my mouth shut. Every second this went further, the longer I was alive.

"What do we do now?" One asked, fear trickling in his voice. "WE can't kill her. It will~"

"Ssh!" Hands slapped to my ears, compressing my hearing. Discombobulated, I picked out only 'not in front of her'.

Multiple mumbles followed. The ringing in my ears eventually stopped and, like it was underwater, I heard, "Fine. I'll schedule a meeting with Him." With a spring in his step, he walked back to the car, his phone pressed to his ear.

"A meeting…for what?" My voice quivered, but I covered it with a cough. _I can't let them know I'm scared. Be brave, Lucy, be brave._

"Oh, you'll see," The man on my arm yanked me off the side of the cliff and tugged the blindfold back up, pulling my hair out of my head in the process. "You'll see."

"You know, you should just leave me here." I tried to convince them as I was half-ushered, half-dragged back to the car. "I don't know where I am. You could get rid of me now and forever."

"Oh, we don't want to just get rid of you now. WE have much bigger plans than that."

"Like what?" My knee hit the car. I grumbled at the pain and the fact he didn't answer my question.

"Get in." His meaty hand gripped the back of my head and forced it down. I smelled the familiar rancid carpet. _The trunk again._

"No!" I screamed and kicked, doing my best to get out. "Please, not the trunk, I'm claustrophobic!"

The trunk closed behind me with a click. I kicked the car and screamed, my back colliding with the ceiling. "Stop it! Stop it! Let me out, I'm claustrophobic!"

In a matter of seconds, the door reopened, and I almost felt relieved. "I can solve this. Easy." Once again, cool and opened air touched my face. I seized the moment and used my legs to bound out.

But I didn't make it. The butt of his gun smashed the side of my temple. I was out once more.


	9. Chapter 8

**Lucy's Point of View**

"_You're a liar," he snarled and to a step, towering me. Anthony was at least twenty feet taller than me. I was so small compared to him. So small and insignificant. "You're a liar, Lucy, and I hate you."_

_ I grabbed his foot in mercy, but he recoiled and sat spat on me._

"_Filthy, worthless, bitch. Cant' believe I ever had feelings for~"_

~The phone rang in the room as loud as a bell. My body jolted upright out the uncomfortable sleep. Sweat drenched down my bruised back and forehead. _Phone…the phone's ringing_. I reached to my left for it, but as I lifted myself off the bed, my eyes rolled. I fainted and collapsed to the floor, catching myself with my wrists.

The phone stopped ringing, and so did my ears. Reality flooded back, along with the blood to my head. _This wasn't my room. Where…where was I?_

Red satin sheets drooped over the bed I just fell out of. The rest of the room beautifully reflected the colors, and textures. It was welcoming, homey, and clean. On the table, there were alcohol glasses on dollies. Next to that was a 'Do Not Disturb' sign conveniently placed for the guests' comfort. _A…hotel room? _

Opening every drawer I could find, I started to search furiously for something that could give the hotels' name, address, anything away, showing where I was.

The blare of the phone echoed through the room once more. I gasped, spun around out of my trance, and lunged toward the phone. "Hello? Hello?!"

"Room 630, this is your 3:30 A.M. wake-up call for your meeting."

_Right! The meeting! Now's my chance! _"Yeah, that! Listen, I need~!"

"They asked me to mention that you will meet Him tonight. He will be dressed in a black suit with a red tie, in the hotel lounge bar."

"No!" I yelled. "Please you have to listen to me! I need help, I've been~!"

"He looks forward to your arrival. There is a red dress placed at the end of your dresser for you to wear. Good-bye."

"Wait! Please!"

But he was gone. I slammed the phone down and redialed the hotel desk, which rang and rang, but no one picked up. Eventually, I faced defeat and put the phone down gingerly. _He's __on__ their__ side, isn't he? _

My answer was yes. When I found the red dress, it was folded nicely with grey heels laid across. I picked it up and the beautiful evening gown cascaded down the floor, along with a note I hadn't noticed. On the hotel's stationary, this was written:

_Make yourself presentable and meet Him in the bar's lounge at 4'o clock precisely._

_Do not be late._

_Do not talk to anyone who does not talk to you first._

_Do not try to communicate with anyone_

_Because we are watching._

_Go. _

I was right. They have this whole place under their control. I don't know who I can trust, and I'm sure they are watching me.

There's nothing I can do. I'm completely alone.

"And the only way I can get out, is to go in." I whispered aloud. "I have to cooperate, I have to be good. But I also must be smart. I can't let them manipulate me because they know I'm scared. I'll be solemn and emotionless. Overall, I'll be very, very brave."

* * *

Two of them escorted me downstairs at 3:55. The dress swished as I walked tall and proud, my curled hair draping down the open back of the dress. They were also dressed up, the high class of the hotel explaining why. The high ceiling was decorated with gold and beige curtains, and a classical piano played in the corner of the grand lobby.

We passed the door, where I looked longingly, and entered the bar. One lightly took my inner elbow and turned me toward my table. They saw I spotted him and simply left. I exhaled as I sat down, slowing my heart rate. He never looked up from his menu until I was situated. Once he believed I was ready, he met my eyes, almost with a smile. He dressed well and…he seemed normal.

"Ms. Lylles. Thank you for joining me. Can I get you anything?"

Solemn, I declined politely with no emotion, yet he waved drinks our way. Scotch glasses arrived. His was filled with alcohol, and mine with…

"Water," he explained, as if he knew what I was thinking. "One must always obey the laws, even if they are as silly as the drinking age."

He took a polite sip of his drink and I stared back in misbelief. "But that doesn't apply to you, does it? Murder, kidnapping? It's all the same, really."

Through my peripherals, I tried to spot people turning in my direction by the sound of those chilling words. But no one did. Every man and women kept their voices low in the bar. Everyone kept to themselves and no one paid any attention to me. I was one of them.

"It is deemed…unruly, I suppose. According to worldly laws, at least. But I have a different way of doing things. We are the exception."

The way he said "we" make me shiver in my seat. His eyebrows raised. "It's chilly," I covered. "This dress, you see."

"Ah, yes," he nodded, "Excuse that, if you must. This is a five-star hotel. I'd rather keep to standards, thank you. What you were wearing wasn't quite…appropriate for the occasion."

"You're right," I smirked, "My apologies. I must say I hadn't planning accordingly. The plan I had for tonight didn't involve being abducted and placed in a hotel with the head of the Illuminati."

_Got him. _This time, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? And how did you figure that out?"

"I already knew about the Illuminati from what I overheard earlier at the school. By the looks of the panic I caused, the members needed someone who could officially solve the problem. Since the Illuminati is, in fact, a cult, I figured it would be the one they put their entire trust into. As shown by your dress and where you choose to meet, it seems you have enough money to live high class. Someone, or some people pay you well. You're composure, you're high standards…it all comes together. You are the head of the Illuminati."

This didn't make him happy, I could tell. He quickly returned a smile to his face, however, and nervously chuckled. "We prefer the term 'society' to cult, I thank you. But, bravo, Ms. Lylles. I must say I'm impressed. No one has been able to deduce so much from so little."

"Well as you see from all that I've done, I'm not an ordinary girl."

"You certainly aren't," he agreed with a smirk, "But not for the reasons you believe, which brings us to why you are here." He removed his hands from his scotch and folded them. "I was called in to –how can I put this?- discuss the problem we've face and discover a solution.

Let me explain the importance of our society. Perhaps you will understand then.

"The Illuminati is a society founded by Adam Weishaput, who modeled after the Freemasons. Its purpose? To protect and to secure the true freedoms of the modern world and people. Today, we keep those efforts running, continuing traditions and requirements that were necessary some 200 years ago."

"What would some of these include?"

He listed a few off the top of his head. "A detachment of the worldly evils of society, ultimate intelligence, an ability to give up yourself for the greater good."

"Meaning you?" My tone was cold.

"Yes," he replied warmly, "The greater good. We discovered soon, however, that it was not good enough. We have enough people involved, however. People picked as carefully as the disciples of Jesus Christ."

"Quite the ironic statement. You are Satanists, aren't you?"

"Some might say. In my most humble opinion, I believe it is a reformed form of Luciferianism. We don't worship the devil; we simply believe the other side of the story of Lucifer's banishment to Hell."

Unable to find a response, I let him continue.

"Like I was saying, right now we have enough force to take the greater good forward. It's time to spread our boarders, and accomplish what our founder set out to do."

I gulped. _What could that be?_

"A World Order."

I leaned my head in. "A…a what?"

"A World Order," he repeated. Just the sound of the word made him close his eyes and lean to the back of his chair in solitude. "A world free from the sinful possessions and beings. A totalitarianist, Freemasoned world where conspiracy overcame reality. The world would be run by the Gifted, people who have followed the Illuminati from the beginning. All others would follow the new form of society. Those who choose to resist will be erased. Those who are not deemed worthy of Its power will be gone.

"Erased?" I asked with sweaty palms. "Like Ziegler?"

"Precisely. The Gifted included our friend Adam Ziegler, or at least we thought. See, just like any one, unfortunately, we make mistakes. Unlike everyone, we fix those mistakes, permanently. Once the nonbelievers and terminated, only the mighty will remain."

"Mass genocide?" I had to hold back a laugh. "That's how to you plan to achieve it? Kill off anyone who chooses not to follow?'

"No kill, remove. Remove from the equation." He glared at me, and I just knew it was me who he was talking about. "If that is a large amount of people, then let it be.

"Therefore, according to you, I'm one of those mistakes." Although I denied it, I could feel my face turn pale.

"Not necessarily." He smiled at me, as if my comment was something a small child would cutely say. "You see, you're different, Ms. Lylles. You are the first person in all these years to uncover one our eliminations. And to that, I congratulate you. Normally, we would eliminate you like all the others for your great achievement. That was the plan, at least, until you spoke. What part of England are you from, may I ask?"

No response came from me as I stared back. My mother's face flashed into my mind. It was of her having to endure what I was. That was NOT going to happen.

"Well then. I guess that's a no." He leaned forward and lowered his voice. It took all my might to stop myself from backing away. "Listen closely, Lucy Lylles. I control this entire operation. A plan that will be successful despite all of your previous actions. I know government secrets; I know security defects that could drive this country into to the ground. Do you really think I couldn't figure out where you live with the snap of my fingers? The fact is I could, and I can commit any crime with a blind eye turned instantly. The reason I'm saying this is because there is no point for you resisting me. I have total control and will stay in total control until the end of time. You can count on that."

Vomit edged in my throat, and I was barely able to swallow it down. I whispered which city I lived in.

"Manchester. I see." The joy of breaking me emerged by the smirk on his face. "Lovely place; I like the city, don't you?"

"What are you going to do with me?"

"Ah yes. That." He took a sip of his drink and let out a sigh as the alcohol dripped down his throat. "By your accent, we discovered you are foreign, which is quite...inconvenient for us. Once someone discovered your body, the police would find out you were from England on an exchange program. This would create a catastrophe involving two nations and way too much media involvement. Too many people would know about it, people would grow suspicious, and the situation would be worse than it needed to be. So, we needed to find a way to get rid of you without killing." I gulped. "So we have proposition for you."

I stood straight up with a deep breath, "And that would be?"

"You stay quiet." He said simply. "That's the plan."

I furrowed my brow. "Excuse me?"

"If you stay quiet," The man explained, "meaning you keep everything that happened here and wherever, to yourself, all problems will be solved." He looked at me expectantly, as if he thought I would go with this quietly.

My mouth hung open, speechless. After everything, he thought if I just kept my mouth shut and forget this all happened, it would all go away? I didn't think so! So I told him that. This was his response:

Firstly, he wasn't particularly happy with my disagreement. He had had it with me. This time, he slammed his hands on the table and glared at me straight in the eyes. "After everything that's happened, you simply choose to disagree? Do you not see the power I control? Do you not understand what I can do, what mercy I've had on you that I've showed no one else? You chose to defy me? Fine. Look here."

He snapped his fingers behind his head, and instantaneously a small wooden package was given to him by a busy waiter. The man threw it to my empty plate. "Open it." He commanded. I did as he said.

There must have been some sort of seal on the box, because when I obediently opened it, the stench that I had not sensed before overwhelmed my nose. I coughed but turned to see what made it stink so bad.

I held back vomit and instantly slammed it shut when I saw the only content. It was Mr. Sievers severed finger placed on straw.

"He was still alive when we caught it off, as I'm sure you could deduce from the blood all over the appendage, meaning he bleed while it was cut from his still beating heart. It's not beating anymore, though. As you can now hopefully see, Sievers lied and didn't follow regulation here. And he paid the ultimate price for it." The man placed his cold hand onto mine in sympathy, though I could not tell if it was fake or not. "We like you, Lucy, we really do. So don't make us do the same you, okay?" He leaned back to his chair and grinned evilly. "Or your friends...Ian and Anthony, is it?"

My heart dropped when he said their names_. Dear god, please don't make them hurt from my stupid mistake. I promised myself no one else would get hurt. And I'll do whatever I can to make that happen._

I broke and obliged. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just...shush. Don't mention anything that happened, from you finding Ziegler, to discovering who erased him, to you coming here. Understood?"

"If I stay quiet, no one, and I mean no one, gets hurt?"

"As long as this little predicament is never spoken of again."

"Deal?"

He nodded and sighed, happy the meeting was over. Raising his glass, the man asked for a toast. "To us? To the world?"

I lifted mine as well "To the prosperity of the world." I spoke hoarsely through chapped and pale lips.

Our glasses clinked and we simultaneously took a sip.

As the drink touched my lips and I tasted it, I spit it out across the table. I felt the chemicals sting my tongue and knew instantly what it was. Tuning my head, I vomited violently out the highly toxic liquid.

"Hydrogen peroxide," He commented, wiping his hands on a white napkin and standing up to leave, as every other person in the bar did.

_I've been set up. He's planned this entire meeting from beginning to end. For once in my life, I've been outsmarted._ I fell to the ground as my vision grew fuzzy and my insides caught on fire.

"Looks just like normal tap water with no scent, but it is secretly highly toxic and dangerous. In large quantities, though. A few millimeters like we added will only cause one to lose consciousness. We always are one step ahead, my dear. Remember that."

I threw up once more and drool dribbled down my lips as my paralyzed body laid on the carpeted floor. Lifting my face to meet his, a cold and heartless hand grabbed my cheek and I met his eyes with rolling ones.

"And remember this, Lucy. I don't have, and don't plan to make, time to repeat myself." He finished. Men began to surround me once more, but this time I wasn't even able to fight back. Hands encompassed my numb skin, and after all this time, after all this suffering and putting on my brave face in the face of danger, I finally, finally gave in.

* * *

"Where do we put her?...still alive..." One swerve to the left, then three turns to the right.

"Yeah...close to school...back to normal..." Stoplight, followed by a turn signal clicking.

"Drive quick...almost dawn."

The van accelerated.


	10. Chapter 9

**Anthony's Point of View**

"Come on, Anthony, we're close!" Ian yelled back behind his shoulder as the sun rose over Abbey Avenue. I shielded my eyes from the bright morning sun.

"Yeah, yeah. You're going to surprise me and say we still have a mile to go!" I growled. My legs ached from my shin to my thighs. I hated running this early every Thursday. But I loved Ian (as a brother, anyway), and I joined him so he wouldn't go alone. The small city he ran in wasn't dangerous, but I still didn't want him to be by himself. What can I say? I'm a bit of a protective person.

_Finally,_ I sighed, which turned into a choking, panted cough. _Here's Hannover. Almost on the path to home. _

Up ahead, however, Ian turned to the left with a big smile on his face. "Ian!" I yelled in despair. My feet dragged on the concrete to a stop. My flopping hands fell to my knees as I caught my breath. "You said we were heading home! It's 5:30; we have to get home by 6:00!"

Ian began to back-peddled as he explained he wanted to head home this way. He said he simply got a feeling there was 'something telling him to go that way'. He continued on, and I rolled my eyes but followed. Once something is in Ian's mind, there's no way to change it.

So we headed down 1st Avenue to the south side of Sacramento on a detour. Grumpy, I dragged along behind him, wishing anything that we were home already. Finally, Ian slowed to a walk and I eventually caught up. We panted together as we strolled along that early morning.

"Hey, we got here early!" Ian perked with barely a sweat. Noticing his shoe was tied, he plopped down to fix it. "You want to grab some breakfast before we head back to my place?"

I laughed and walked on. _He'll catch up. _"Of course we got here early! I'm running with a cross-country runner at the crack of dawn! And hell yeah, I want food! You're buying, too! You owe me, big time!"

No response came from behind me. _Was he actually mad?_ "Oh, come on, Ian!" I joked as I turned to him. "It was just a~!" But when I faced him, he didn't look like he was mad.

Ian looked absolutely terrified as he stared into an alley way.

Slowly, I leaned over to see what he was looking at. "What…what's wrong, Ian?"

He said nothing, but raised a shaky finger to behind a dumpster. "Look."

With him unable to move, I made the first step and walked gingerly to where his finger led. Out behind the trash can was a small, dirty hand seemingly reaching out. It was so filthy that at first, I flew back; I just knew whoever it was, was dead.

But it moved. A pinky twitched with life, drawing my attention back. "Oh my God, Ian. They're alive!"

Immediately, I began removing the trash bags that suffocated them. Ian screamed behind me to leave it alone, but whoever was there needed help. After bags and bags, I found them. They were dressed in a black sweatshirt and jeans, the hood covering their head. A moan came from them as they became responsive. I placed a gentle hand on their back, but even this made them start squirming around. They bounded up and leaned against the wall, trying to run away.

"Ssh!" I calmed in a quiet voice. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. Can you tell me your name?" Slowly, I leaned over to them and reached for the hood. "Please?"

With a quick flick of my wrist, I threw their hood off. Instantly, I gasped in horror.

Lucy, as pale as a snow, stared at me in utter fear and panic. Sweat and tears dampened her face as she tried to crawl backwards and escape, terrified I would hurt her.

"Lucy!" I cried, ushering Ian over to us. "Lucy!" I couldn't help but grab her arm to keep her still. At the touch of my hand, Lucy spun towards me and finally looked me in the eye.

"A~Anthony?" She whispered in a hoarse voice. More tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

"Yeah, Lucy," I comforted as I pulled her into my lap. She collided in, apparently too weak to sit up. She was freezing cold and her clothes were ripped, dirty, and wet. "It's me and Ian. Why…why are you here?"

"I~." She began, but couldn't finish. "I~"

"Wait!" I sprung back to reality and shot my head to Ian. "What are we doing?! Call an ambulance, call the police! Do something, we need help!"

"No!" Lucy gained a spurt of energy and flew off my lap. "You can't, you can't call anyone!"

Ian still had the phone pressed to his ear. "What? Of course we are, Lucy! Look where you are!"

"No, you can't!" She cried in despair. Lucy looked toward me in pleading eyes and gripped my shirt. "Anthony, you guys can't call anyone; no one can know. Please!" She begged. Her grip loosened on my sweaty T-shirt. "Please…"

She began to fade away again. I was afraid she would before we could help her. "Lucy, please! Let us get you to safety!"

"Just bring me to someone's house, somewhere else but here!"

"No!" Ian refused from my side. I could hear the dial tone of 9-1-1. "You are going to the hospital, that's~!"

"~This is bigger than just me!" She cried and fell back further. I grabbed her head before it hit the concrete ground. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Please," Lucy begged. "I'll explain later. I promise, just get me inside. I…" And she was gone. Lucy lost consciousness in my arms, still shivering in the cold morning air.

I turned to Ian, who was about to press the call button. I shook my head. "Something's wrong here, Ian. Something's really wrong."

Ian stared back. "Something 'bigger than just her'?" I nodded.

Ian ended the unconnected call and lowered the phone. "Alright," He finally agreed, still lowering his head, unsure. "But we take her to my house. Now. We'll figure out what to do from there."


	11. Chapter 10

**So yeah. **

**It's been a while.**

**In all honesty, I have literally no idea why this chapter took me so long. Perhaps it's the fact I rewrote it about three times completely through. I don't know why, but I had so much trouble with this chapter!**

**But three time's a charm, I guess, because here it is! Enjoy :D**

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**Lucy's Point of View**

The fire that warmed the room cracked and broke the wood it lit. Silence filled the empty air as I finished my story. One could hear the quiet creaks and stirs of Ian's house early that morning. I sat there, not able to meet their eyes.

When I woke back up, I was being laid gently on Ian's couch by Anthony. I stirred and he almost dropped me in surprise. I took a deep breath. _I know what I have to do. _"Let me shower," I asked, placing a steady hand up to stop him from interrupting. If anything, I felt like the dirtiest human being alive. "Then I'll explain."

So I did. And here I am, staring at the warm, clean clothes Ian gave me to wear. The clothes were his sister's, Melissa, of course, someone much taller and older than me, but I didn't care. I was finally safe with the guys I loved, though I wasn't sure how they felt about me. Both gawked at me in disbelief at the story I just told them. Anthony sat, leaning against the couch with his knees to his chest. We sat there in silence.

I literally just told two simple Californian boys that I discovered the existence of a world-famous society who have killed two people already and are planning a mass genocide of even more, and they've scared me out of saying anything because of what incredible hell I endured the night before.

Ian eventually broke it with a snort. "You're…kidding, right?"

My head turned to him slowly with wet eyes. Ian quickly shied away at my obvious 'no'. Anthony glared and Ian repented. "I'm sorry, Lucy," he said. "It's just…did all that really happen? There's no way~"

"~It's true," my voice came as a flat whisper. "What happened, who they are, everything." I couldn't help but glare at 'someone' else. "Though I'm sure some of you don't believe me."

Anthony scrunched his eyebrows and began to argue, but sighed and looked down. Knowing neither of us would quit until we fixed the problem, Ian excused himself awkwardly and headed upstairs. Now alone, both Anthony and I grew sheepish. We both knew we were wrong in different ways. _But where do we start?_

"I~" I breathed, but this time, Anthony held up a hand, and I stopped.

"No, Lucy. I'm the one who should start. This whole…thing started because of me."

"Anth~."

"~No, it is. If I had just listened you, we could have gone to the police, and Mr. Sievers wouldn't be dead, you wouldn't have…you wouldn't have…!"

It always pained me to see a grown man cry, but it was even worse when it was him. My whole body still sore, I crawled over and hugged him. He immediately calmed when I did, and hugged me back. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Don't mention it," I smiled jokingly. "You have to promise me you won't blame yourself, either. It was no one's fault besides mine."

Suddenly tense, Anthony broke the hug and took my face in his warm hand. Sternly, he said, "No it is not, Lucy. None of this is your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened."

"It's not the only thing I blame myself for…" I mumbled to myself, just loud enough that he was able to hear.

His face scrunched up. "Wha~?"

That's when Ian reentered the room. Anthony remained eye contact waiting for my answer. I ignored it, however, too guilty and humiliated to admit my biggest mistake of the night. I crawled back to lean on the end of the couch as Ian handed me the comforter from his bed. Even with the fire and sweats I wore, somehow I couldn't get warm.

"Lucy, what did you mean~?"

"Thanks, Ian, I snuggled in the blanket as the chills exited my body. "Thanks for everything. Both of you. I don't think I would have lived if you guys hadn't found me."

They both slowly nodded to themselves. "You were already half dead when we did. Then you made us bring you here instead of a hospital, and now you've explained why.'

"So…now what?"

I sighed. "Well, I have to go home before Mr. and Mrs. Lucia wake up. Then I'll change and we'll go to school. I'll continue my normal routine; we all will."

"What?! You can't!" Ian kneeled next to Anthony. "We've all been through a shock, we know that, but we can't let it end here."

"They're planning an invasion on the world that will kill hundreds, maybe thousands of people!" Anthony added with the same level of vigor.

"And from what we've learned," Ian gestured towards me. "They're defiantly capable of it!"

"Yeah, I know that!" I began to grow frustrated with them. "But~"

"Lucy, we know you're scared, but we need to tell someone."

"If we tell the police," Anthony leaned forward and began removing me from my security blanket, "then no one can hurt you anymore."

I pulled away quickly and wrapped myself deeper. Anthony gave up and shriveled back. "I can't tell them. I can't tell anyone!"

"You've told us," Ian reminded me, shyly. _That's only because you needed to know._

"Well, you have proof now, don't you?" Obviously still remorseful for his mistake, Anthony raised his eyebrows. "Where we found you, the cuts, the bruises? The police _will_ believe you." _This time_, he mumbled afterword.

"It's not only that," Word vomit slowly crawled up my throat. _I knew I was going to have to tell them, sooner or later. _"There's another reason why I can't say anything."

Both of them anticipated for what that was. "I'm not the only one involved in this."

"Of course not," Ian laughed lightly. "Those people~"

"Not them!" I growled and waved around the room. "Us! People on the outside. I'm not the only one involved." The word vomit reached my tongue and stung my words. "Because of me, I'm not the only one involved."

And Ian put it together. Slowly he asked what I was saying, though his sad and scared eyes already knew.

"They said if I told anyone, they would kill me… and you guys, too."

I looked up. Never in my life had I seen such looks of fear and betrayal on someone's face. Both of them turned pale white. Slowly they looked towards each other, wondering if the other could possibly have something to say. But neither did. Ian and Anthony gulped and finally looked at me.

"How…" Anthony stopped, trying hard to not let his voice crack. "How could you, Lucy? I mean, I know you were mad, but~"

"No, no!" Throwing off my blanket, I crawled towards them. "I didn't tell them about you, I promise! I don't know how they found out, I swear!"

I lunged toward Anthony, but he and Ian stood up in an instant. I fell to the ground at their feet. My frizzy, wet hair dangling in front of my face, I looked up to them in pity, pleading for their forgiveness. "I would never do anything to hurt you or put you in danger!"

"But you did."

"No, I didn't!" Crying wouldn't help, I knew, but I couldn't help it. "Well, I did but….It wasn't my fau~!"

"Yes. It was." Ian's head dropped to his chest, and his eyes met mine in a frown.

"Ian, I~,"

He looked down sadly and out of the way. Then I gazed to Anthony, his eyes read the same hatred as they did when we fought, which seemed like an eternity ago. Angry tears were violently wiped away. "You need to go, Lucy. Now. You can't be near us anymore."

My heart sunk. "Anthony…"

His eyes closed and shook his head. "No. Now. Go." Out of desperation, I stared up at Ian, who opened his mouth to say something, but after a glance at Anthony, he closed it, silent.

I had lost, and finally gave up. So I stood up and left out the front door to my way back to the house. I didn't know where I was going, nor did anyone chase behind to tell me. They were done with me, and how could they not be? All of this, everything was completely my fault. I had made such a messy disaster, and ruined everything and everyone around me.

I lost everything; my power, my safety, and my two only friends. One question wouldn't leave my pounding head as I walked in a general direction that warm (but, to me, freezing) Californian morning. _Where do I go from here?_

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**Thanks for reading! New chapter every other Friday/Saturday! Peace, love, and all that jazz!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Anthony's Point of View**

"I mean, it's me!" Ian laughed. "I'm sure I failed!"

"And you're fine with that?" Smirking, Ian and I turned out of the doorway of English in L212. I dragged Ian in the direction of my locker and he reluctantly followed.

"Well, no." He continued, "But, whatever. What can I do about it now?"

I shrugged as we reached my row. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a fluff of bouncy, blond hair fly by. My head turned with a flash as Lucy quickened passed me. She came in the direction I was going. _Was she waiting for me by my locker?_

"Calm your tits, bro." I felt a joking nudge to my shoulder as I was pushed out of my trance. I blushed and pounded on the door of my locker which naturally creaked open. _Quality at Del Campo High._ "She's just a girl. You act like she's Jesus, or the principal, every time she walks by."

"No, I don't!" His eyebrow raised and he laughed, but I finished. "And she's not_ just_ a girl, Ian. Some major shit's going on. Don't you want to at least talk to her?"

"I was fine with what happened. Scared out of my fucking mind, but fine. You're the one that blamed it on her, not me."

_Did he _have_ to bring that up?_ I slumped on the rusty metal door and sighed. "I know, I know. Don't remind me…"

"How you feel right now," Ian rightly pointed out. "Is ten times better than Lucy does."

"Then why won't she just apologize?" I grumbled. "Or at least say something!"

"She already tried!" The warning bell rang and lazy students like us scattered to their classes. Ian held out a hand and heaved me to my feet. "She's tried millions of times, and I know for a fact you know it, too."

Moping, I asked what to do. "Anthony," he said in his best Lefou voice. "You have GOT to pull yourself TOGETHER!"

""Beauty and the Beast"? Seriously, Ian? You're eighteen years old, right? Or did I just imagine those ten years?'

"Promise me you'll fix things with her? Please?" Ian suddenly built himself up. "Do it, or I swear to Alan Menken I will break into the "Gaston" song!"

My hands flew to my vulnerable ears. "Oh, dear God! Please, no!"

"Then you promise?" Ian grinned.

I was stuck. Yes, I didn't want to hear Ian sing (I knew he would, too. He's done it before.), but he was also right. The whole problem couldn't be fixed, but what was between Lucy and I could be. And if Lucy refused to talk, I would sure as hell make her listen.

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I skipped 7th period and waited for her to stroll my way. I remembered Lucy had a free period right now, which meant she ran errands for the FES program director.

Eventually she did. The mass of messy blond hair came bobbing through my hall. I copied her technique; waiting in the guys' bathroom, I kept one eye out of the crack of the door. When she walked by, I pounced out just like she did and dragged her inside.

Grinning, for my plan worked, I pulled her toward me. She didn't look so pleasantly surprised, however. Lucy was hyperventilating and her face was pale; she shook under my grasp and stared at me with wide, glassy eyes.

I let go in an instant and she slid down the wall to the floor. I kneeled down to make sure she was okay. I wanted to surprise her like she did to me, not terrify her. "Lucy…?"

"I'm fine." Lucy didn't accept any help as she stood straight back up and brushed herself of. "You're hilarious, by the way. Good for you." Lucy pushed passed me with her head down to leave.

"I didn't mean it to be funny." I gently grabbed her shoulder. She stopped. "I mean, I guess I did, but not in the way you think."

Lucy sighed. "Okay, fine. So, what was your intention?"

I blushed, embarrassed. "I don't know, to break the ice, I guess. Lucy, it's time we talked."

I didn't need to explain what. She nodded, looking out of the way.

"Look," I started. "What happened -everything- it wasn't your fault, and I made it that way."

"You were right, though," Lucy frowned. "It was -is- my fault. You weren't wrong in kicking me out of the house. I would have done the same thing."

"But, that's the thing. You wouldn't have. You were the victim and I made you the villain. When you needed help, I blamed you and pushed you away. What happened was not your fault, and …I'm sorry."

It was the first time I saw her smile that big since before we went to the beach. She blushed and it was contagious. "Thank you, Anthony. Just…thank you. You have no idea how long I've tried to say the same thing."

We both moved closer, as if pulled by an unknown force. I was closer than I've ever been to her, and my heart was in my throat. Nervously, I looked out of the way, but when I looked back, her beautiful green eyes still connected with mine.

"So…" I coughed, apprehensively, "Where do we go from here?"

A sparkle gleamed in her eye. "I have an idea." Her response came with a quick wink.

"What would that be?' My mind raced rapidly. "I better not have anything to do with~"

Her finger was placed gently on my moving lips, and I quieted immediately. "Shut up, Anthony," Lucy whispered as she leaned in closer, "For once in your life, just shut up."

I leaned in, too, but something stopped me. Something caught on my foot. I looked down, and Lucy's aura turned disappointed. "Sorry," I muttered.

"What is it?"

Once I found out, I groaned. "Ew, disgusting! Some idiot left his gum on the bathroom floor! I stepped in it. My shoe~"

"Oh my God," Lucy pulled away and he eyes lit up. "That's it!"

I leaned in even close and my heart sunk a little. "What's 'it'? What are you talking about?"

"The shoe! The shoe!"

Lucy pivoted away from the corner and paced the bathroom. "That's the next step!" She saw I was about to interject and she speed up. "I've racked my brain for the past week, trying to figure out what to do next, and you made me remember the shoe!

"On the autopsy report for Adam Ziegler, there was something about a shoeprint, discovered by forensics, found on the side of Ziegler's face. That's the next thing to do! Figure out whose shoe that belongs to, and we'll figure out who killed Ziegler!"

"But haven't we decided that was Mr. Sievers?"

Lucy shrugged. "He was one of them who did, yeah! But who is to say he was alone? If there's one thing I've collected from this group is that they do nothing alone. Whatever crime they perform, it's with more than one person. If we can find this one person, than we can bring him, or her, to justice. That way, the police will definitely know I'm telling the truth. There will be proof that this murder was planned and performed by a group who has the power and aim to do the same thing again."

I racked my brain for a way to stop this. "Well, the shoe! Who's to say it wasn't Mr. Sievers? Or Ziegler's?"

"Because the case file I got it from said it was a size nine. Mr. Sievers' was a size ten and Ziegler was a six."

When I found no hole in her plan, I started to beg. "But, Lucy. You know what the Illuminati said. If we interfere again, they'll~"

"But I'm not interfering! I'll solve one murder, once and for all!" The shining in her eye was blinding as that big brain of hers turned and turned.

"And if you get carried with it, _again_?"

"Then that happens. Anthony, I _have_ to do this. That person is buried in the ground for no good reason. Yes, he got himself into it, but no one deserves that!" Lucy gently wrapped her fingers in between mine. "Just because you're scared, doesn't mean you shouldn't do what's right."

"And who taught you that stupid lesson?!" I growled.

Lucy grinned. "You did."

_Oh, shit. She's right._ I closed my eyes and sighed. "Lu, I know. But~"

She gasped. "What am I doing here? I have to go!" Lucy bounded passed me so fast I could fill the wind trailing her. "I have to get to the one place you can find anything! The library!"

Her hand slipped from mine, and it suddenly felt so much colder. She burst through the door but spun around once more. "Well?" She led on.

"You coming?"

My hands flew to my face and I rubbed my abruptly tired eyes. _There's no denying it, Anthony. You're going to say 'yes'._

Unfortunately, I accepted this. With a glare and a huff, I reluctantly followed Lucy, who bounced with energy. She gripped my elbow and bounded through the halls and crashed through the back doors.

_I swear to God, if these people don't kill her, I certainly will…_


End file.
